


ask to be unbroken

by Marenke



Series: whumptober 2020 [7]
Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: M/M, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, and now you're forced to deal with him, tfw youre a experimentation victim and your crazy scientist comes back to life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26590360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marenke/pseuds/Marenke
Summary: The darkness swirled under his skin, showing in the whites of his eyes, moving around like worms.
Relationships: The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Nikolai Lantsov
Series: whumptober 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931353
Kudos: 33
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	ask to be unbroken

**Author's Note:**

> whumptober day 7: enemy to caretaker

“Fascinating.” Aleksander murmured, one hand over his mouth, but his grey eyes did not lie: there was a shine to them as he watched Nikolai sweat and writhe in bed. The darkness that was residual in his body moved beneath his skin in waves, and Aleksander couldn’t help but be mesmerized.

“You’re a creep.” Nikolai muttered, the soft sound of the iron shackles ringing gently in the darkened room.

“Oh, shush. It’s the first time one of my experiments comes back to being human.” Aleksander touched Nikolai’s skin, too warm. “You are running a fever.”

“All the Saints, I hate you.” Nikolai moaned, turning and tossing in bed, going away from Aleksander’s touch. The darkness underneath his skin reacted to Aleksander, though, pulling itself to him. “Why am I stuck here with you?”

“You’re sick, my love.” Aleksander hummed, rising from his spot on the bed, and he could feel Nikolai’s eyes on his back, as Aleksander went around the room, grabbing a fresh change of the linens. “And if you go berserk, who better than me, your creator, to control you?”

“You’re  _ not  _ my creator and don’t call me your love.” Nikolai spat, sitting. Aleksander chuckled darkly, going back to the bed. Nikolai rose on wobbly feet, and Aleksander held him: he had sweated so much it had soaked his clothes. 

“I wonder if I could puppet you.” Aleksander ignored Nikolai’s words and the whine he’d let out. He let the boy king go of his chains, and heard Nikolai go to his closet. 

Aleksander tried puppeteering him, and found it had resistance to it: the powers that swirled inside Nikolai’s body reacted to Aleksander, wanting to obey his commands, but it seemed like they had been in Nikolai for so long they were like a bone, or perhaps a muscle; a part of Nikolai’s body, intrinsic and needed. His eyes shone with curiosity. 

Maybe later: Aleksander had all the time in the world.

He changed the bedsheets and threw the sweat-soaked ones in a corner, humming a long-forgotten lullaby, and watched Nikolai go back to bed in a fresh set of pajamas, skin flushed. Aleksander measured his temperature, forehead against forehead, and Nikolai stood still.

The darkness swirled under his skin, showing in the whites of his eyes, moving around like worms.

“Don’t try and manipulate me again.” Nikolai hissed, and Aleksander smiled at him. “I’m not under your control anymore.”

Aleksander kissed him softly, once, and he could  _ feel  _ the power stuck underneath Nikolai’s skin move, trying to reach him, trying to reach its source; he even felt Nikolai reciprocating the kiss.

When they separated, Nikolai had his jaw set, something dark in his eyes that wasn’t wholly Aleksander’s fault.

“Are you sure I don’t control you, my love?” He purred, and Nikolai did not reply. “Now, let me take care of you, yes? I can’t have my most precious experiment be sick.”

Nikolai spat at that, but Aleksander ignored it. Nikolai, whether or not he liked it, was his, marked by him so deeply it was already a second nature. He would get used to being taken care of.


End file.
